Ted's Remedies
Secrets of Okinawa Long Life or How to be 101
Now for less serious discussion, there are many websites which cover this in great detail on their Okinawa long life to be 100 and over. I will discuss the important aspects here not discussed anywhere else. The Okinawa secret to longevity is the soybean and seaweed. It's this combination that gives it magic. Now a lot of disinformation surrounds soybeans, by the cow milk company (once had a summer job, required by my college so I had to accept any job that relates to science, one of the job was to put out disinformation on soy, so I know). The soy's secret is how it is prepared, basically everyone prepares it right, it doesn't matter, as long as heat is involved in the process since it destroys the enzyme inhibitors. In fact no one can consume it raw. As the major criteria, right miso fermented has advantage, but Japanese do consume soy milk and do get the benefit too. The research findings is that the Okinawan also had high DHEA, twice that for Westerners, but unknown to the scientist, the high DHEA is from the soy, yes, soy raises your hormones by about twice that of normal people, that they know is responsible for their long life. The other fact is that, it reduces nearly all kinds of cancer across the board, in particular is antineogenesis, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, uterus cancer, and when combined with iodine we covered nearly all cancer there is. The bioavailable form is seaweed which protects the negative aspects of soy, which is in people deficient with iodine, soy consumption produces goiter, but when added with iodine or seaweed, it doesn't making a complete meal of longevity possible with DHEA levels to boot. The soy protects against UV damage, COPD, Cholesterol, LDL lowering, HDL good cholesterol, osteoporosis, triglycerides, etc. What soy protein is unique over Whey protein is it has a lot more glutamine, when combined with lysine and others it makes a more effective protein supplements. It is in fact superior then whey in a couple of things (which is not to say whey is bad), in raising DHEA. Bodybuilders exercises, which actually lower DHEA. The anticancer compound found in soy protein is the isoflavones which are genistein and daidzein, being the most well known. Some people might argue that thyroid can be a problem, but that is prevented since seaweed, a Japanese addition prevented that, which they consume almost every day with the soy. There is one thing that is also not mentioned in Okinawa, their water supply is rich in Magnesium, while the rest of us, we have calcium. Magnesium is protective of heart attacks which is found in their water supply. There you have it, free from thyroid issues, DHEA is high, osteoporosis non existent and cancer across the board down with just 3 things, soy, seaweed, and magnesium! Now someone argued that it might be their genes, well if you look at the program How to Live to 101, the Okinawa was displaced and put in Hawaii, and it was found out that their cancer got worse then the native population once adopting their diets, so it couldn't be their genes. Some one argued that they have active lifestyle will if their bone condition is great, most would have active lifestyle, and there is the other one, purpose in life, of which they could also be right, but you need to have a right kind of diets.
Ted
Anonymous
09/28/2011
Ted, I was just reading about supercentenarians & wondered whats the real secret, How do you incorporate this in your life Ted? Do you eat a meal with tofu & have a glass of soy milk each day? Do you make a miso soup {with lots of wakame, tofu & miso paste} & sprinkle hijiki instead of salt in dishes? & for those of us who don't live near the ocean we just got to use magnesium oil on the skin or drink it in water regularly? Amazing connection you found between the soy and iodine, I hope it can get explored you, Could I just take 1-2 soy protein meal replacement shakes reguarly and add a 2 drops of lugols each day? I appreciate the info here but am looking for some specific details if possible. I was once drinking 3 glasses of soy milk a day and eating soy burgers and soy hotdogs & my Japanese MIL told me she eats soy and seaweed but not as much as I was and certainly not in processed imitation dogs and burgers. I wasn't taking any Lugol's though. Ted did you hear about that 100 year old vegan?
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjiO8oZBHwU
The interesting thing is many centenarians I studied were meat eaters but they ate it more as a flavoring. I think we were meant to eat a little local, grass fed, organic meat. Look at countries that all high vegan or vegetarians like East Indians, they live to about 64. No. 139 on the Wikipedia List of countries by life expectancy. Maybe its the antinutrients in the beans and grains, you can soak and cook them but it won't get rid of all of them. I know India has other issues but just look at where most centenarians come from, the vegetarian exceptions are the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda, CA but the rest do eat some meat, even the Okinawans eat pork but probably not like Westerners eat large slabs of meat and little vegetables. I would love to live where the centenarians live like Okinawa but even visiting I couldn't tolerate that heat and humidity index! Many people also don't realize they get that Island fever thing too. Expensive too. I guess the iodine and soy are protecting the Okinawans from the Japanese radiation? It would also be nice to hear from any Okinawans here, how exactly do you incorporate soy and seaweed in your diet (how? what kinds? how often? amouunts?) and same with how often you dip in the ocean for the magnesium. Domo arigato gozaimasu!
Anonymous
09/28/2011
Ted I was reading online about traditional Okinawan diets, I don't know if this high carb diet is entirely accurate though. "This is incredible. Almost 70% of the calories in the traditional Okinawan diet came from sweet potatoes"
"Rice and beans also played prominent roles at mealtimes."
Traditional 1950 Okinawan diet - 849 grams sweet potatoes, 154 grams unpolished rice {likely with bran & germ - 1 cup a day}, 114 grams other vegetables, 71 grams legumes (including soy), the rest are small amounts including fish 15 grams {one three ounce serving a week}3 grams meat {1 smaller serving a month} & 1 gram seaweed (which is still a lot comapred to Western people)- 6% of calories from fat {less than 1 tsp oil a day} & low sugar. "Theirs was a very low-fat, low-protein, just about vegan, diet with very few processed grains and oils. "
Http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2010/07/traditional-okinawan-diet-sweet.html
Manganui, Northland, New Zealand
09/28/2011
Thanks Ted I've often thought about the longlevity of the Okinawans. It's interesting that you mention Cows milk.. In China a few years ago breast cancer was called rich "womans disease" as they were the only ones who could afford cows milk and they seemed to be the ones getting the disease. I found out that cows during the second world war gave half the milk that they do today.. This selective breeding for profit, must have pushed the Cow to produce far more milk than nature intended , which must have raised the cows hormone level. Then if so the milk must be loaded with some nasties?
Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France
09/28/2011
After everything I have read I believe that for us, in the Western world, the best diet is low on carbs and high in fats. I am not going to say that other populations shouldn't have completely different diets...... But I think that no one knows anymore what is good and what is bad. Whenever I hear about the Mediterranean diet it seems to me that there are a lot of misunderstandings about what they eat and that is maybe the case with a lot of other diets. People have many times a false idea about what others eat and that becomes the truth after being repeated over and over again! I come from Portugal and I often come across a lot of misunderstandings about our way of eating. People really believe that we are healthy and as a rule have little weight problems beca
use we live in fish and vegetables. True... Tourist restaurants often offer a lot of fish but that is not really how we eat in everyday life also because fish is awfully expensive! People do eat a lot of meat but true as well that they eat a lot of potatos and most of all rice. When I was growing up eating vegetables with every meal wasn't really the norm. And funny enough they do eat a lot of very sweet desserts. Eating fat was never a problem!
Ny
09/28/2011
A'dam, Netherlands
09/28/2011
Old Okinawans attribute their long life to many things.
What often is said about Okinawans is that their diet contains less calories; when they eat they do not fill up their stomach for 100%, but finish with eating when they are still hungry. During WWII a lot of sicknesses such as high BP in Europe "disappeared" because people could not afford to eat as much and often needed to use substitutes e.g. nettle instead of spinach etc.
Older Okinawans say that they care about others in the community, they have low stress levels, they are physically active, drink a mixture of garlic, honey, turmeric, aloe before going to bed, use a lot of yellow and green veggies just to mention a few, so any of these factors could contribute to their long lives (or maybe a combination of these, or something else not mentioned by anybody yet).
In the Mediterranian people had a different diet than in Japan, but they were probably also poor and could not eat as many calories, and were more active physically than they currently are. The problem with dealing with people of old age is that why they became so old might depend on their diet and life style when they were young which might not as much be reflected in their current diet or life style. Ask somebody who is old what their staple food was and how much they ate when they were young and you might be surprized....
Interestingly, the younger generation in Okinawa is overweight, has a westernized diet and life style and has higher sickness rates and lower life expectancy than people elsewhere in Japan. I also wonder if the soy they eat is genetically modified nowadays....
Manhattan, Ny
09/28/2011
Okinawans drink large amounts of turmeric tea, which in part prevents some of the the damage due to higher glycemic foods. It is good to hear Ted giving soya a thumbs up...
I interesting points that Bernando LaPallo (claims to be 110) makes ...
The bulk of his diet is fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish. Stays active both socially and physically. Eats light meals and nothing after 7pm..
All this contributes to keeping blood sugar and damaging stress low..
Manganui, Northland, New Zealand
09/28/2011
Melbourne, Australia
09/28/2011
I know that according to Dr. Russell Blaylock, who studied MSG (& has a great book), cod liver oil is a glutamate blocker as is Turmeric and magnesium among other things. The Japanese eat a lot of fish, maybe that is what is protecting them. They also would have a high idoine level in their body because of their seaweed consumption (don't know if that is connected or not).
Netherlands
09/28/2011
The documented top 10 longest living humans ever hail from the Japan (3 of the 10) and USA (4 of the 10). Interesting note "In fact, the US has more supercentenarians than any country in the world. They are not considered a land of longevity though due to the number per capita. " And the top slot of the 10 went to a 121 year old French woman Jeanne Calment. Calment was physically active, great health, a smoker, a wine drinker, a chocolate eater, and she attributed her longevity to olive oil on her skin and in her cooking. Monaco is an overlooked place: average life expectancy is 89 and owmen typcially live to 95. Food is very expensive there and most people have their own chefs. The food is fit for a king (or shall I say Prince Albert). It seems the smaller places that aren't governed so much but big intrusive government agencies seem to get real food and not Frankenfood. But then again, the average income is over $200,000 (US Dollars).
Http://listverse.com/2010/02/07/top-10-oldest-people-ever/
A Japanese cardiologist and geriatrician named Dr. Makoto Suzuki moved from Japan to Okinawa and did the Okinawan study and released it putting it on the map globally. One thing you folks have to realize is there are the most centenarians in Okinawa per capita but Dr. Suzuki observed they were mostly bedridden. "There are now around 700 centenarians in Okinawa, but most of them are bedridden. The number of super healthy very old people has not gone up much from the 26 we counted at the beginning of our study. This is an important point, as it means that although advances in medical technology can keep us alive, those extra years are not always active and productive. Our goal needs to be not just longevity but healthy longevity"
It's also noted that the youth are living a more Westernized diet nowaday. ""Okinawa's ranking for male life expectancy has dropped from number one to number 26 in Japan, but the life expectancy of Okinawan females remains at the top. If the health of the island's women also decreases, Okinawa will no longer be able to claim itself as the centre of longevity."
Http://www.travel67.com/features/interviews/makoto_suzuki/
I believe Monaco will be one of the top places. I don't think they are interested in killing off their small rich population since it is a small place and the people living their support the economy though there is no tax. Many don't even live there year round and belong to the upper class. Around the world in bigger lands the governments are also heavy and is in bed wiith food and medical companies and you get mass produced and mass consumed food. I'm sure they would love to thin out the lower and middle class masses in time. Second place with a large number of long living people per capita is a mountainous region in Sardinia. Most Westerners prefer the coasts. If I had the money, I'd live in or near Monaco. The French Riviera is gorgeous.
New York
09/29/2011
Manhattan, Ny
09/29/2011
Susan... Here is the recipe and info for Turmeric tea... you can sign up for Weil's daily newsletters which are one of many (EC included) good sources of health info.. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02833/turmeric-tea
White Rock, B.c., Canada
10/01/2011
I am a 55 y.o. woman, 115, 5'5" and in reasonably good shape with daily walking and a short gym workout as well. I am told on a regular basis how great my skin is as well as having the body of a 30 y.o. I got lucky with genetics but it also helps to look after ones' self... Which I didn't always do. I smoked for the better part of 38 YEARS and ate alot of processed foods.
I have detoxed with foot pads, and lemon, sage and parsley teas. I drink ACV daily in a fruit smoothie with Willards water, 1/8 cup freshly ground flaxseed, 1/2 tsp. Dried kelp powder, 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses every other day, and use only cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for salads. I follow the blood type diet for B's as it really works well. I started using a top quality Krill oil in May this year mainly for my cholesterol (high due to menopause), and within 2 weeks I noticed my frown lines and mouth pucker lines/wrinkles were almost gone!!! My neck was looking lined and saggy and looks way better, and my skin is quite soft and no longer dry. Due to the ACV I have the youthful glow as well. I use epsom salts with bathing and magnesium chloride as a spray and a drink. I also take a 50 mg Ubiquinol daily, use vit. C chrystals mixed with baking soda (thankyou Ted), nutritional flake yeast for the B's and minerals, undenatured whey protein and bio-identical hormones. I no longer have any aches and pains and I sleep alot better and am calmer/happier. I eat mostly whole unprocessed foods now and have very little coffee. I do a lot of research and adjust things all the time.
This site has been very helpful with all its suggestions and remedies... Its just a matter of finding what works the best for your health plan. I don't neccessarily want to live to 120 but I want to be pain free, coherent and mobile as long as I am sunnyside up.
Cape Coral, Florida
11/07/2011
Brentwood, Ca USA
03/11/2012
I'm 65 going on 40, there can be a twenty year difference between chronological and biological aging. There are many Ideas and approaches on how to slow down aging. I'm constantly researching and trying new things. First figure out the factors and their relative importance in reaching our goal, mine is to maintain mobility and mental acuity for as long as possible.
Factor 1 exercise, which kind aerobic anaerobic, with added load or body weight only. This itself can get confusing in the amount of information out there.
Factor 2 lifestyle, this is the most important part and therefore has the most impact on our ability to slow down aging.
Factor 3 genetics, more studies now show that even if you've been dealt an average hand, those negative genes do not have to be turned on, and it's amazing how we can control this.
Factor 4 supplements, I have been constantly researching this and found some incredible age reversing suplements that can create newer cells better then the old ones, remember to effect the largest our whole body, you must understand the smallest, your mighty powerhouses the mitochondria.
For a grass root approach on all these subjects and lots more info, without any hooks or multilevel scams, visit my work of love, www.challengeaging.com. Thanks live long and strong.
Zug, Switzerland
03/12/2012
Thanks Karl, I will surely visit your webpage as I am also very much interested in growing old gracefully and I have always been rated far younger than I was! I am also intending to read a number of books on aging well and healthy. I already have one at home, Mikahil Tomak's Ca we live 150 years? and I read Linus Pauling's How to live longer and feel better, a truly great book written by a truly great man!
As far as exercising goes.... A word of caution! When we came to live here a few months ago I was about to start a life where I was supposed to have a lot of spare time in my hands so we looked for an apartment with free access to a indoor pool with sauna and a gym. Things started out well and I enjoyed my exercise but one day things went badly wrong and in two days I am going to have my left arm operated which will leave me in bad shape for a few months so.... Do exercise by all means but sometimes things don't go as planned! I try to comfort myself with the thought that I am no different from a lot of other sports people..... Maybe an injured OG athlete...... Just joking!
As far as genes go you are absolutely right, both my father and my mother always looked very young, so did my grandfather on my mother's side although he smoked all his life and had a lot of health problems because of it.
Brentwood, Ca
03/13/2012
Hi Francisca, thanks for the reply, hopefully the operation on the arm will be successful. But while you're healing, a great book to get you more informed, is called the Metabolic plan. Author Steven Cherneske. I highly recommend it. Also read some of the articles and videos I have on you tube, my philosophy is that if you light a lamp for someone, it will also brighten your own path. Light your lamp by reading the 150 plus articles I have posted @ challengeaging.com.
Live long and strong. Karel.
Richardson, Tx, Usa
06/07/2012
YEA - On the fullness topic, many westerners, eat until they are overstuffed. This is too much at one time for any benefit. The Okinawans, and many other Japanese too I imagine, practice something called hara hachi bu, which is to eat until 80% full only. A great way to work on this is to not eat everything on your plate and/or eat smaller portions or from smaller plates and bowls. Just when you think you can "tell" you've eaten comfortably, at the first sign, stop eating at that sitting. Here is a link http://okinawa-diet.com/okinawa_diet/hara_hachi_bu.html . Just when I think I am wasting food, I remember it is a little better than to waste my body/temple. To cut down on waste, adjust portions smaller next time. You can always get more if you -really- need to. When I say 'no, hara hachi bu' to the sushi chefs here when they ask me if I want more, they smile and give me a little laugh bc that is exactly right. One more thing is "nigiri" sushi does not include seaweed (nori), so be sure to get something containing seaweed with your edamame or miso soup. 2 years ago, I made a resolution to eat a more Asian diet when possible. I still do it!
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